Approach

The curriculum, used for tutoring students and training Scholars to become certified Tutors at all Children’s Dyslexia Centers, is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach. The Orton-Gillingham approach, developed in the 1920′s, uses a sequential, multisensory phonetic approach to teaching and spelling. Thus, a variety of sensory data is used to help children understand the written word.

As part of the Dyslexia Program, hundreds of school teachers and other individuals interested in becoming certified Tutors at the Centers have received free training. Children are tutored one-on-one twice a week after regular school hours. This allows for the curriculum to be tailored to each individual child as necessary, and progress is made in small, readily quantifiable steps. Services provided by the Dyslexia Centers equip children with the skills and the confidence they need to approach learning with eagerness and without fear.

The Children’s Dyslexia Center Program offers free training for individuals who are interested in receiving initial certification as Tutors in the Orton-Gillingham approach. The training program is IMSLEC (International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council) accredited. Requirements for certification include a minimum of 45 hours of classroom instruction and 100 or more hours of practicum work under the supervision of qualified professionals, tutoring two children twice a week at our Dyslexia Center. A minimum of a Bachelors Degree is a prerequisite for this training. Our Dyslexia Centers also provide training for advanced certification. Our affiliation with institutions of higher education enables professionals who train as Tutors at many Centers to earn full graduate course credits as well as continuing education credits.

Our affiliation with The Pennsylvania State University enables professionals who train as Tutors at our Pennsylvania centers to earn 6 graduate credits (two 3 credit courses), as well as 180 Pennsylvania Act 48 credits. For more information about graduate credits, go to www.outreach.psu.edu/cape/orton-gillingham

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In creating the Children’s Dyslexia Centers for children it has been our mission to provide professional treatment – free of charge – to children with dyslexia.

Testimonial

"I was at my “wits end” with my daughter's lack of progress in reading....The Center provided {reading} help for her...she has gained so much confidence since working with the program."
-State College Mom